Michael Shannon Joins Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water

Michael Shannon joins Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water

According to The Hollywood Reporter, acclaimed actor Michael Shannon (Man of Steel, Midnight Special) has joined Fox Searchlight‘s new film from acclaimed genre filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, which according to IMDb will be titled The Shape of Water. Shannon will join a cast that already includes Sally Hawkins (Godzilla, Happy-Go-Lucky), Octavia Spencer (The Divergent Series, The Help) and Richard Jenkins (Cabin in the Woods, The Visitor).

Although details are being kept under wraps, the project is described broadly as “a mysterious and magical journey set against the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963 with an otherworldly love story at the center of it.” Making it under the Searchlight banner indicates this will be significantly smaller in scope to Del Toro’s previous projects (Pacific Rim, Crimson Peak) and be geared more towards awards season than box office, ala Pan’s Labyrinth. There are also rumors that the film will center around an amphibious man being held captive in a lab.

Despite the secrecy, the project is apparently coming along well and planned for a mid-August start date. Callum Green (Crimson Peak, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug) will produce with Liz Sayre executive producing.